The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1887-12-28
Sacramento Cup of Temperance.


to the faculties of the mind. how soothing
to the functions of the body. Cold water
is the chief tonic and promoter of health.
1t adds the rosy tinge OF beauty. the bloom
to the withered rose. and awakens the
dropping flower from its inclined dream.
Good mothers proclaim it the peace-maker,
and love-retaner of home. The wise mali
proclaims it pure as when it left its native
heaven, giving vgOr to our youth, strength
to our manhood. sending solace to our age.
The w. G. T. U. prOclaims that there is no
fiendish spirit dwells beneath those crystal
drops to put fire in the eye and madness
into the brain that no mothers sorrow.
homeless widows, hungry and barefooted
orphans, dwell beneath those placid foun-
tains; that the drunkard'S grave, shame
and woe, poverty and want, misery and
crime, come not within those hallOwed pre-
cinctS where cold water reignS supreme.
And thus we find these devoted mothers
and tender hearted daughters going through
out the land with this cup of purity, CIV
ing cheer to the aged mother, cOnsoling
the brOken-hearted widow, wiping tears
from the eyes of the orphans and blessing
it in its shame. We find them in the drunk
ards howell. whispering the sweet words OF
hope and holding this blessed cup to his
feverish and rum-withered lips, and bid
ding him with tears in their eyes to turn
back to all that is true and manly. Yes.
cold water is pure and beautiful wherever
we find it-as it dances in the sunny rills;
as it is poured from the old oaken bucket;
in it's seething bubbles in the nlosS-cOvered
springs; in the murmuring brooks, as it
dances over the glittering pebbles. winding
it's way through the deep tange of wild
woods to the giant river; in the hand OF
beauty or on the lips of manhOOd-yes,
cold water is pure and beautiful, and wanted
everywhere.
Reader. I have here before me all imagin-
airy cup of rum. ALI, if we could Only see
the misery. crime. madness, poverty, want,
and desolation beneath those sparkling
drops, we would shudder and flee from its
enchantment. II we only knew the dark
clouds that are accommodating over our
heads. the bomDarding wrath that it breeds,
and if we could see the paths of sorrow.
anguish woe and disappointment. that go
winding through their inky blackness when
we are in the blaze Of the gided saloons.
we would yield not to it's unhallowed intiu
women made in the image of God, inspired
with intellectual talent and divine know
ledge, do you want to be its victim and fill
a drunkard's grave? No! 1 say 10 for
the dumb: no for the blind; no for the ignO-
rant: no for the wretched drunkard, and
no for the wOrld-fOr we are made for
something higher. We were made to climb
these lofty hills to heaven and sing praises
unto the Lamb. Still, we look back in the
dark, dismal past and see the millions lured
to ruin by the sirene song Of the tempter,
and sleeping now in cold Obscurity the
wrecks of what once were great grand and
glorious men. the masterpieces of Gods
work.
now say to one and all accept my invi-
tatiOn and dash it down. Those sparkling
drops are murder in disguise. In those
seething bubbles are widows grOanS, or
phans' tears and maniacS' yeils. the worm
that dieth not. and the fire that is not
quenched. Peace, love. and happiness
came not in that fiery circle which men call
runl--vile as when it left its native hell.
giving fire = the eye, madness to the brain,
and ruin to the Scll. Did You see in the
papers not long since an article telling us
of the Chicago express agent that went
mad from its unhalOwed touch. and mis-.
placed a $4,000 package of money and
went raving from home, not knowing
where? Yes rum is vile. The poet would
liken it to fiery glow. as it's flames flickered
around the abode Of the damned, and the
philosopher would call it fit type and
sembIance of all earthly corruption-the
base born progeny of sin and Satan. and
child of perdition. Yes thou Obstructive
spirit of rum. through all past time thou
hast been, but through all coming time thou
shalt be accursed everywhere-m the
drunkard's howell, in the blaze of the gilGed
saloon. in the hand of beauty, OH Tie lips
of manhood. Yes rum will be accursed
everywhere. The good mothers proclaim
it; the devoted sisters proclaim it: the faith
full sons proclaim it; the w. G. r. u. pro-
claim it the murderer of mankind and the